Wednesday, December 9, 2009

"California College of the Arts graduate Karina Michel turns tons of organic cotton waste into fashion for Indian organic textile mill Pratibha Syntex.

"Twenty two year old fashion designer, Karina Michel, is already drawing international attention for her designs. Karina’s latest collection is A Blossoming, which she designed as part of a 5-month stint at Pratibha Syntex, a 4,000 employee Indian company that produces organic cotton yarn, fabric, and knit garments for export and local markets."

"Michel was hired to devise new strategies to reuse and redirect the company's waste, which between cutting scraps, overruns of fabric and rejects, currently sits at 30%."

"Redefining the value of waste, Michel used a reverse appliqué technique: sandwiching fabrics, and stitching through all the layers before selectively cutting pieces away, to create sumptuous and complex patterning."

"...the work that Karina is doing in India provides her with a far broader real life knowledge base, enabling her to fuse design and business decisions with value to local culture and economy, regional craft skill abilities and social and ecological benefits, in one holistic thought."

My friend and designer, Tara St. James, of the label Study, recently introduced me to this very interesting place on the internet called, Not Just a Label.

NOT JUST A LABEL ("NJAL") is the leading global business directory for showcasing avant-garde fashion designers of today, nurturing the upcoming talents of tomorrow. It provides an outlet for talent to blossom; a place where visionaries meet collaborators dedicated to the creative spirit of fashion. The platform targets graduates and avant-garde fashion designers, providing a stage where collections are showcased online. Numerous designers have already been discovered by international press and recruited by renowned retailers and prestigious fashion houses via the NJAL website."Fashion finds its freedom in the art of individuals; NOT JUST A LABEL is a place for those who find their way off the beaten track, allowing them to express themselves in a community where everything goes...break the mould, redefine the expected, re-colour the palette, inspire and be inspired.”

On this site, I found a great little article titled, Fashion_For_Losers which addresses two of my favorite things right now.1) Less (I would argue) is more and especially when it come to curating your own collection (aka closet) and creating/building an accurate aesthetic identity.2) Umair and the Edge Economy Community (featured in two of my previous posts, We Broke up and The Awesomeness Manifesto)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

As you may have read on earlier posts, I recently attended the American Craft Council Conference in Minneapolis because I believe that garment making is a craft. The combined skills of draping, patternmaking, cutting, and sewing or each on its own, are skills that can only be mastered with time and practice. These skills, like many other trades, are not valued like they used to be. Globalization has moved garment production out of the United States, searching for cheap labor outside our borders. As recently as 1965, 95% of American clothing was made in the US, today 5%. Environmental and social degradation aside, we are also losing "the craft". As Dr. Sennett so eloquently points out, modern capitalism rewards mediocrity and discriminates against craftsman. There are countless (and would I love to do that count) unemployed master craftspeople without work, who may be aging and have little means of teaching the next generation. If this interests you, HBO on demand SCHMATTA and check out The Sundance Channel's, Full Frontal Fashion Series, The Day Before. The atelier scenes make me cry.

First draft of a vision/mission statement inspired by the MCBA:The Center for the Advancement of Garment Making celebrates fashion as a traditional craft, vibrant contemporary art form and means of providing nourishing employment. From the traditional crafts of pattermaking, draping and sewing, to experimental art making, CAGM supports the limitless creative evolution of garment engineering.

CAGM will be established in the year 2012 in the generously gifted, historic building in downtown Manhattan as a lively destination for a diverse public interested in the craft of garment making, and the American fashion industry.

The soul of CAGM is the studio spaces where you find masters and novices draping, patternmaking, sewing, hand finishing and engineering muslins into beautifully finished garments. In addition to the studios, there is an exhibition space, a studio shop, an archive, reference library, and offices. Visitors are welcome to observe the activity and work close-up. CAGM serves artists, students, teachers, designers, and fashion lovers through a variety of participatory programs.

The mission of the Center for the Advancement of Garment Making/Slow Fashion is to preserve the traditional crafts of garment making, re-establish American fashion as vital domestic cultural industry/asset, re-introduce the American public to the process of garment making, inspire and incubate diverse craftspeople and learners and engage audiences in educational, and creative experiences.

CAGM will serve as a vital craft resource for a diverse public audience and will make valuable and important contributions to the American Fashion community’s cultural depth and economic health. CAGM will respond to current industry challenges facing it by focusing on its mission and three strategic goals: skill preservation, sustainable business development (social, environmental and financial) and acceleration of public consciousness public education.

Disclaimer: This isn't an organization to bring down big corporate fashion companies, rather to give craftspeople or aspiring craftspeople the opportunity to do the work that nourishes them, preserve skills, and re-value garments and the people that make them. It is my hope that we can work side by side and/or in collaboration with one another.

The "Parts" of the CAGM:- 5 to 10 students a year fully or partially funded in apprenticeship-like program. Students take classes in draping, patternmaking, sewing, fashion history, sustainable design taught by master craftspeople and other esteemed fashion professionals.-Small business entrepreneur incubators that focus on financial literacy.-4 artists in residence in the fields of illustration, photography, design and textile arts. Work collaboratively with each other and students.-Materials library-Gallery-Cafe-Workshops and short term classes-Small boutique/atelier with work (garments, patterns, kits, art, materials, custom pieces etc.) for sale from students and artists in residence. Online and/or brick and mortar depending on space available.-Public membership program.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Much like Bliss, I have invested (or traded) in quite a few MHT pieces that along with my grandmother's and brother's jewelry, are highly cherished and define my look.

For quite some time Meredith has wanted to make handbags and the moment has arrived! She has designed a tight collection of buttery black leather bags, brilliantly embellished with brass colored disks from butcher's aprons that are beautiful, timely (yet I'm betting timeless) and yes, make an outfit. Imagine the above draped across a full wool coat, chains criss-crossing the body, anchored at the shoulder by a sturdy leather and metal disk band.

This lovely lady, whose deco belts I wear no less than twice a week has emerged as the designer for body jewelry. I own two bags, two belts and now, the above chain. Bliss's pieces have easily become pieces in my collection due to the combination of their beauty, intrigue, durability and versatility.

Her pieces make my outfit.

I recently wore my chain over my classic Zero + Maria Cornejo bubble dress and love the way it contours the volumes of fabric to my natural curves. In contrast, I wore my chain over a body hugging ULURU bega tank dress with equal success.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Umair Haque is Director of the Havas Media Lab, a new kind of strategic advisor that helps investors, entrepreneurs, and firms experiment with, craft, and drive radical management, business model, and strategic innovation.

Prior to Havas, Umair founded Bubblegeneration, an agenda-setting advisory boutique that helped shape the strategies of investors, entrepreneurs, and blue chip companies across media and consumer industries. Bubblegeneration’s work has been recognized by publications like Wired, The Red Herring, Business 2.0, and BusinessWeek, and in Chris Anderson’s Long Tail, to which Umair was a contributor.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Rob Walker is the author of Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are (2008). He is also contributing writer and columnist for the New York Times. His column titled "Consumed" is a smart discussion about consumer culture and the marketing of goods. In addition, Rob keeps a similar, but more dense blog called Murketing.

Throughout the presentation Rob listed various consumer tensions that I found also to be the tensions of designers both big and small.

This the tension list I could pull together from rough notes and my fallible memory, you'll get the gist.

1) Attracted to novelty except when the want the something familiar.

2) Being an individual except when they want to be a part of something.

3) Wanting progress and a connection to the past and craft.

4) Wanting cheap quality.

I would add:

5) Wanting to make nice and/or crafted things and be accessible to all.

6) Amongst peers, compete vs. cooperate/share.

7) Making a living and pursuing your craft.

Rob gave another list, what the consumer craves:

1) authenticity

2) ethics (spending your dollar is political)

3) quality

4) story

Larger corporations are generally equipped to make something novelty, familiar and cheap. What absent, is the story. I would also argue that craftsmanship is absent in mass produced goods. A personal purchasing encounter or relationship with a craftsman is where the consumer can find the greatest quality, authenticity and story.

So in theory this is what consumers want, but is it? Enter recession, enter the "new frugality" which attaches virtue to cheapness. We both agree that getting what is cheap is not always getting your money's worth not to mention the potential social and environmental costs.

In addition, I question whether consumers even know what quality is any more? Its hard to find in the big box retailers that make up our suburban landscape. I know within fashion it has been my experience that consumer's no longer recognize the difference between synthetic and natural fabrics, the different types of finishing on garments and or what a garment that fits looks like.

Rob pointed out that we don't know how to make/do anything anymore other than shop. If we are removed from the process of creating it makes it a lot harder to value goods and value quality goods.

There was a bit of animosity at the conference towards DIY craft. Rob believes that multiple versions of craft are just fine. There is room for everyone, creates various discussion at various levels and that the DIY crafts might act as a gateway drug for other "finer" craft. Ha, I love it. I have to agree. I don't think its hurting anyone or really a threat to master craft work.

Friday, October 23, 2009

I'll start by pulling a bit from The Craftsman (which i highly recommend reading) to give you an idea where we're going here.

"Craftsmanship" may suggest a way of life that waned with the advent of industrial society - but this is misleading. Craftsmanship names an enduring , basic human impulse, the desire to do a job well for its own sake. Craftsmanship cuts a far wider swath than skilled manual labor; it serves the computer programmer, the doctor and the artist; parenting improves when it is practiced as a skilled craft, as does citizenship.

Below are the talking points I extracted.

Craftsman:

Does quality work for its own sake.

Doesn't take shortcuts.

Exhibits an evolution of skill.

Building skill is slow and experimental.

Craftwork:

Making something is a primordial mark of identity, it confirms you were here.

Code Craft, computer programmers making coding a craft. Dr. Sennett is a big fan of the Linux community.

A pursuit of problem solving, less or no focus on end product.

Open knowledge systems that share "tools" of the trade.

Conflict and Challenges for Craft Inside Modern Capitalism :

Mediocrity dominates over quality.

Conflict between the desire for solutions and desire for craft.

Enormous pressure to deliver goods in a short term economy.

Quantity or growth matters more than results.

Model of life long career is gone.

We no longer reward quality and discriminate against craftsmen.

Machines:

Technology is created to remove us from the process of making.

Machines remove the need for tacit understanding. Can the machine eliminate subjective knowledge?

Example: CAD design. Designer is the spectator. When the computer shows the results it understands, but do you (the designer)?

My two cents:

When did we get so fast? When did everything get so big? Why did "everyone" decide they wanted to "go public" and thus be pressured to produce quarterly growth at any cost? Is it because the bigger a corporation gets the exponentially greater the compensation for the top executives and they're making the decisions that benefit them? Is it the illusion that growth in corporations improves quality of life for all despite the fact that only a fraction of the population benefits from this growth?

Dr. Sennett mentioned that, "closed knowledge systems have small life cycles". I am not sure if I am understanding exactly what he means but it made me think, this is where the fashion industry has so strayed from craft. The current American fashion industry is generally closed, highly secretive and rarely collaborative among peers. We are forced to design in short life cycles, 3-4 collections a year. Has that hindered our progress and the quality of our work? If we had open knowledge systems, where we assumed our ideas were safe, shared contacts, ideas, resources, techniques, maybe even space, would we experience healthy competition, a sense of community and produce less but better fashion?

Upon signing up for this conference, I feared a specific outcome. I predicted that I would attend this conference, listen to the presentations, which would then put me into a manic state and I wouldn't know how to best mobilize all the wonderful information I was adding to my database.

I was right, I came back to Brooklyn and traded bliss for angst.

To oversimplify, the angst comes from choice, the choice to be the craftsperson or study them?

Atelier or Academia?

Lucky for you, as part of my information digestion process which I am hoping will aid my decision making/life crafting, I will be creating a series of posts sharing the notes I took at the conference.

Visit www.freshthemovie.com to watch the trailer. Fresh, unlike another movie that came out around the same time and rhymes with, rude pink, makes you want to hug everyone in the room rather than poke your eyes out and eat a big mac.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Dear Ms. PriebeAs part of its 2009-10 exhibition season, the Pratt Institute Department of Exhibitions will present “Ethics + Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion,” an exhibition of fashion and contemporary art that will take place November 20, 2009 - February 20, 2010. Guest curated by Francesca Granata and Sarah Scatturo, the exhibition will take place in the Pratt Manhattan Gallery, 144 West 14 Street, New York City. We will celebrate with an opening reception on Thursday, November 19, 6 – 8.

“Ethics + Aesthetics” is the first American exhibition to survey the work of artists and designers (many of whom are New York-based) who explore practical and symbolic solutions to the question of integrating sustainable practices into the fashion system. The exhibition builds on the already established sustainable practices of using recycled, renewable and organic fibers and the employment of fair labor, while deepening the public’s understanding of what constitutes sustainability within the fashion system. The exhibition is organized around three main themes: Reduce, Revalue and Rethink, which are meant to expand on the traditional ecological mantra «Reduce, Reuse, Recycle» by acknowledging the importance of aesthetics within fashion design.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

There has been something bugging me since I closed up shop sunday night.I call them "screechers", inspired by the noise hangers make when they are abruptly slapped from side to side. This weekend we had quite a few people abruptly walk in and slap some hangers around like they were at TJ Maxx after a shipment of a "tattoo inspired designer" who will go unnamed (rhymes with red lardy). Not only does this make a lovely noise, it makes quite a mess. That is not even what bugs me really, its the disrespect for the items themselves. I find myself wanting to scream at them, "HEY! I MADE THAT! GENTLE! "

There is a craft movement emerging and many are getting back in touch with the process of making and/or makers, but there is still a larger part of the population who is totally indifferent to how anything gets to the shop floors. A disinterest in the who, what, how, where, of what they are looking at, and i can't necessarily blame them. We've been trained to consume. most goods in the market show up en masse with a very un-glamorous hidden life story (you've heard the stories). goods are trendy, disposable, artificially cheap, you are busy and want instant gratification.

That bums me out. social and environmental implications aside, mass consumption divides producer from consumer and homogenizes us. We have closets full of clothes we don't really like, don't really fit, resemble if not mimic the closets of our peers, don't accurately speak our identity, and mutes our own creative personal expression. Bor-ing.

So, I'll ask you nicely, "Please be nice to my things, there was great care, effort and sacrifice to get that piece to that hanger. I made that to give you and I a choice, a choice to purchase something developed with thought and care, something that could potentially serve you a life time or at the very least multiple seasons."

All seven of us at 5 in 1 have some really great pieces (at great prices) in there, fancy runway samples, handmade up-cycled cord necklaces in rich bright colors, belted halter jumpers made out of vintage fabrics, silk silk and lots delicate silky silk etc.Even if someone isn't in the mood to buy, they still have someone to who greets them with a smile, a story if they seem interested, pretty shiny things to look at and good tunes in the background.

It was my turn to work at 5 in 1 this past weekend and despite being inside during a sunny summer weekend, I generally look forward to it. I get to play stylist, open the barn-like doors, buy flowers, fill a bowl of candy, meet interesting people, talk to them about the pieces, see them try things on, add a belt, add a scarf, see what people look at but don't try on, give "secrets" of the neighborhood to visitors, make them little itineraries and all the other possible outcomes of such an environment.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

An American businessman was standing at the pier of asmall coastal Mexican village when a small boat with justone fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were seve-ral large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented theMexican on the quality of his fish.“How long it took you to catch them?” The Americanasked.“Only a little while.” The Mexican replied.“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”The American then asked.“I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.”The Mexican said.“But,” The American then asked, “What do you do withthe rest of your time?”The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little,play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria,stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine andplay guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life,senor.”The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and couldhelp you. You should spend more time fishing and withthe proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the pro-ceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats,eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”“Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you wouldsell directly to the consumers, eventually opening yourown can factory. You would control the product, proces-sing and distribution. You would need to leave this smallcoastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LAand eventually NYC where you will run your expandingenterprise.”The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long willthis all take?”To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”“But what then, senor?”The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part.When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Ini-tial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to thepublic and become very rich, you would make millions.”“Millions, senor? Then what?”The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. Moveto a small coastal fishing village where you would sleeplate, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta withyour wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where youcould sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

With sub-freezing temps in New York this week, these boots serve both fashion and function. If someone would have described these proportions to me I would have said, awkward. Yet like magic, these are some of the most exciting/thoughtful looks out of Milan. Yum.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Derrick recently re-introduced me to the Golden Record. I am infinitely intrigued in the contents of this object/project and the potential story that could follow should it land in the hands (if they have hands?) of other life forms. For those who are unfamiliar, the Golden Record, a voice for mother earth, was created by the late astrologer Carl Sagan. Carl and wife Ann Druyan describe the project best as such:

If you could send a long message to such extraterrestrial beings - words, pictures, sounds, music - what would you say? How would you describe us? What would you leave out? Could you communicate intelligibly to very different beings with a wholly independent evolution? In 1977, at NASA's behest, a few of us had a remarkable opportunity to attempt such a (one-way) communication. Frank Drake suggested not a plaque, but a phonograph record. As described in the book, Murmurs of Earth, we designed and prepared the record to carry a rich message to the stars - 116 pictures and diagrams about our global civilization and our species, greetings, samples of the world's great music, the brain waves of a young woman in love and much else.

The "young woman in love" is Carl's future wife Ann Druyan. The record was created in 1977, the year Ann and Carl were falling in love. Ann was the subject of the brainwave recordings and as Dr. Helen Fisher has now illuminated, a very uniquely active brain high on the endorphins of love. Of all the thing we humans spew recklessly into the atmosphere, maybe this one contribution has the ability and reach to prove that despite it all, we are loving. intelligent creatures.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I'm not an economist/financial analyst although I frequently wish I was and more so now, so that I could properly support or refute the hunches I have about the sustainability of certain business models and industry trends.

which described some "winning and losing fashion IPOs" (ie. Donna Karan vs. Coach) in addition to explaining the impetus for such a move. The impetus most common being heirs who would like to cash out versus a founding designer wanting to create a global empire.

Fashion in particular, seems like a silly IPO venture and investment. Bernard Arnault, CEO if LVMH might disagree but even he is heavily diversified among "luxury goods", not solely vested in fashion. I see fashion as a volatile industry that revolves around biannual seasons, designer whims, fickle consumers, precarious relationships with retailers and a product that loses integrity and identity when its pumped out like a widget to maintain "growth". When a fashion company goes public there is a fiduciary duty to the stock holders to provide growth of a certain percentage every quarter. To me it seems this growth would have to come at any cost including the integrity of product and the bastardization of the the brand. In addition to any questionable cost cutting techniques such as perpetual factory moving to find the cheapest labor and/or materials substitution.

So what happened to dividends? Couldn't a company get to a certain profitable point, where quality product is crafted, everyone is getting paid and the company is running efficiently, then instead of demanding "growth", as an investor you hold equity in a company with a sound balance sheet and receive dividends paid from real profits?

Am i missing something? I know I'm rusty, the last time I took an economics course or finance course was in 1998.

What's wrong with private, "small" and profitable? Why does everyone need or strive to be a global lifestyle brand? I don't understand that.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

THE cherry on the top of 2008, the year that the predatory capitalism virus binged itself to death by accidentally killing its host, was dubbed "The Christmas That Nobody Wanted." "I think everyone is finally burned out on 'stuff,'" my uncle Rick said. "People realizing that having 1,300 teddy bears didn't make their life any better."

The article introduces some to a shop in San Francisco named, MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing). I am assuming the title refers to supporting local "mom and pop", in this case brother and sister shops by purchasing timeless, quality and statement driven pieces ("slow fashion") from international icons of design such as Martin Margiela and Jil Sander.

In turn, MAC supports their local community via work with the Creative Growth Art Center, an organization that supports disabled artists.

I'm hoping one day soon there will also be locally or simply US crafted garments they are inclined to support. Maybe ZERO + Maria Cornejo for starts?

"The farmers honor labor. They sell the freshest stuff at its most perfect point in time. Disposable fashion is like fast food! We honor the hands that make clothes. Like 'slow food'? We think of our clothes as 'slow clothes.' We're not fashion victims. You want to find that jacket that is your most perfect tomato, and wear it for 20 years..."